Lock for sliding door



Jm. 20, 1970 H. ZEIT LOOK FOR SLIDING DOOR Filed April 6, 1967 Fig./

Harry Zeif l N VEN TOR.

United States Patent O 3,490,802 LOCK FOR SLIDING DOOR Harry Zeit, 20255 NW. 6th Ave., Miami, Fla.

Filed Apr. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 628,861 Int. Cl. Ec 1/04, 19/18 US. Cl. 292-145 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An important object of the invention is to provide an effective lock for sliding doors capable of being easily and rapidly installed by any person without any particular skill or effort.

In accordance with the foregoing object, the lock device of the present invention is adapted to be clamped to one of the guide fins associated with a track that slidably mounts one or more sliding closure doors. A slot having a vertically inclined wall is formed in the block so as to receive the guide fin on which one of the doors is slidably mounted in order to clamp the block to this guide fin by means of a wedging element displaced into c'lamping position by means of a screw. The block may also form a stop for one of the sliding doors and is provided with a guide bore through which a lock pin extends into engagement with the other sliding door when in a selected position.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view showing one installational arrangement for the lock of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view showing the lock device installed.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the lock device itself.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be observed from FIGURE 1 that the lock device generally referred to by reference numeral 10 is associated with a pair of sliding closure doors -12 and 14 adapted to be slidably mounted in parallel spaced relation to each other by means of a track member -16 as shown in FIGURE 2 having a pair of guide fins 18 and 20 for respectively guiding movement of the doors in parallel spaced relation to each other. Sliding doors and guide tracks of this type are well known. In accordance with the present invention, a lock device may be mounted within the track '16 at a selected position as shown for example by solid line in FIGURE 1 in order to lock the door 12 in the closed position illustrated or any other position ,desired by engagement with the stile 22 of the door. Alternatively, the lock device referred to as 10 could be mounted in a position indicated by dotted line in FIGURE 1, whereby the lock engages behind the stile of the door. As a third alternative, a lock device 10" could be mounted in a position shown by dotted line holding the door 12 closed and engageable with the door 14 for locking the same in its closed position. It should be appreciated however, that regard-less of the position in which the lock device is mounted, it should be mounted on that side of the sliding doors facing the inside of the building. Also, smaller versions of the lock device could be made for three or four door tracks and for track assemblies wherein the doors move between the guide fins.

It will be apparent from FIGURE 2, that the lock device is mounted on one lateral side of the track so as to limit movement of one of the sliding doors while it is engageable with the other of the sliding doors for locking the same in a closed condition. Thus, the locking device also acts as a limit stop for one of the doors. The lock device includes a block or body 24 of such a dimension as to avoid interfering with the sliding movement of the door 12 for example with which it is selectively engageable for locking the same in the closed position. One side or the other of the block forms a stop face 26 for limiting movement of one of the sliding doors as aforementioned when it is clamped in position within the track on the guide fin 18 for example. Toward this end, the block 24 straddles the guide fin 18 by being formed with a slot 28 having a vertical wall 30 and a vertically inclined wall 32. The walls of the slot extend downwardly from the horizontal surface 34 of the block a depth sufficient to receive the guide fin 18 with the block abutting the horizontal portion 36 of the track. The guide fin may then be clamped against the vertical wall 30 of the slot by means of a wedging element 38 slidably positioned within the slot.

The wedging element is provided with a pair of internally threaded bores 40 as shown in FIGURE 3 which respectively receive the threaded portions of positioning screw members 42 rotably mounted within the blocks and provided with heads 44 engageable with the side 46 of the block opposite the side 34 which abuts the track. These heads may if preferred be flat heads engageable in recesses countersunk into the block. It will be apparent therefore that the block may be placed within the track in any desired location and clamped in position by means of a screw driver rotating the screw members 42 so as to threadedly draw the wedging element into the slot to thereby wedge the guide fin between the wedging element and the vertical wall 30 of the slot.

Also formed within the block in parallel spaced relation to the stop face 26, is a guide bore 48 through which a lock pin 50 extends, the lock pin being provided at one end with a knurled knob 52. Thus, the lock pin 50 may be inserted into the guide bore from one side 54 so as to project from the other side 56 into engagement with the door for locking the same. A light chain 58 may attach the lock pin to the block as shown in FIGURE 3.

In one installation of the lock device as shown by solid line in FIGURE 1, the block 24 may be clamped in position as described and the guide bore 48 used to guide a drill bit so as to form a hole in the door into which the lock pin 50 may be received. Where the lock pin is to engage behind the stile, no hole will of course be required within the door. It will be apparent therefore, that the lock device of the present invention will be economical to manufacture and extremely simple to install. Sliding doors may thereby be locked in either closed positions or in slightly open positions for ventilation purposes.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a track and closure means slidably mounted therein, a lock comprising a block mounted in said track, a pin slidably mounted by said block projecting into engagement with the closure means in a selected position thereof, a wedge element movably mounted in said block and adjustable means for positioning said wedge element in the block in clamping relation to the track, said closure means including at least two doors, said track having parallel spaced guide fins respectively guiding said doors for sliding movement relative'to each other to said selected position, said block being mounted on one of said guide fins limiting movement of one of said doors, said pin projecting from the block into engagement with the other of said doors, said block being provided with a slot receiving said one of the guide fins therein and slidably mounting the wedge element, said adjustable means comprising a screw rotatably mounted by the block and projecting into the slot for threaded engagement with the wedge element.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said block further includes a stop face engageable by said one of the doors and a guide bore parallel to the stop face through which the pin extends.

3. In combination with a track and closure means slidably mounted therein, a lock comprising a block mounted in said track, a pin slidably mounted by said block projecting into engagement with the closure means in a selected position thereof, said closure means including at least two doors, said track having parallel spaced guide fins respectively guiding said doors for sliding movement relative to each other to said selected position, said block being mounted on one of said guide fins limiting movement of one of said doors, said pin projecting from the block into engagement with the other of said doors, said block including a stop face engagement by said one of the doors and a guide bore parallel to the stop face through which the pin extends, a wedge element movably mounted in said block and adjustable means for positioning said wedge element in the block in clamping relation to the track.

4. In combination with a track having a guide fin and at least two closure members, a lock device comprising a body mounted within said track on said guide fin to limit movement of one of the closure members, means projecting from the body into engagement with the other of said closure members, a wedge element movably mounted in said body and adjustable means for positioning said wedge element "within the body in clamping relation to the guide fin.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said body is formed with a slot receiving the guide fin and the wedge element therein, said adjustable means including a threaded member rotatably mounted by the body and operatively engageable with the wedge element for displacement thereof within the slot to a clamping position.

6. In combination with a track having a guide fin, and at least one closure member slidably mounted in the track, a lock device including a body movably mounted in the track in straddling relation to the guide fin, a wedge element slidably mounted on the body, adjustable means for holding and positioning the wedge element in clamping relation to the guide fin, and releasable means mounted by the body for engagement with the closure member.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said body is formed with a slot receiving the guide fin and the wedge element therein, said adjustable means including a threaded member rotatably mounted by the body and operatively engageable with the wedge element for displacement thereof within the slot to a clamping position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 140,861 4/1945 Conlan 339-270 X 720,496 2/1903 Simpson 292-156 667,420 2/ 1901 Blackburn 292 2,673,106 3/1954 Nelson 292--1 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

